Chautauqua Grown Links Consumers to Local Foods

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (August 17, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is excited to announce the establishment of their new farm-to-table initiative, Chautauqua Grown. Chautauqua Grown is the source for all things related to local foods in Chautauqua County, including a directory of farms, restaurants, farmers markets, wineries, and much more, and is available online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua.

Chautauqua County is home to over 1,500 farms, and more than 100 are selling their products directly to consumers, through farm stores, roadside stands, and farmers markets. Chautauqua Grown helps to connect consumers to farmers by providing a comprehensive listing of all types of farms that offer fresh fruits and vegetables, meat products, honey, maple syrup, and much more! Chautauqua Grown also features a listing of restaurants that are committed to purchasing local foods, which opens up new markets for area farmers. There is also a complete directory of Farmers Markets and Wineries located in Chautauqua County.

Each featured farm, market, winery, or restaurant has their own profile that includes locations, hours, contact information, and brief description as well as links to their own websites. Chautauqua Grown features an interactive Google Map that makes it easy to visualize businesses in a specific area, and get directions to that location. If a farm or business is interested in being listed on Chautauqua Grown, they can visit www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. The website also includes information on recipes, the benefits of buying locally, and more information about agriculture in Chautauqua County.

Listings on Chautauqua Grown are free, but are verified and updated often by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. “Chautauqua Grown is a platform that connects consumers and farmers using a central, easily accessible location that is maintained and updated frequently” says Walley-Stoll. “We are so incredibly excited to bring this to our area to help our farmers increase their profitability, and help consumers increase their access to healthy, local foods. Chautauqua Grown makes it easy to promote and purchase local foods, a hot topic in our area”.

Chautauqua Grown is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.